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If you had to choose which room of the house your family spends the most time in, which would you pick? For many people, the kitchen would be the obvious answer; most of us start our days in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal and end it in the same place with dinner. Then, between homework, lunch-packing, and snack breaks, the kitchen can be utilized all day long.
Since your family is probably using the kitchen more than any other room in the house, it’s a good idea to make it as kid-friendly as possible. Both to make life easier for the younger members of your household and to avoid potential kitchen accidents.
Encourage healthy snacking by keeping a plastic bin of kid-friendly snacks in the front of your fridge.
Fill it with individually portioned sandwich bags of baby carrots, grapes, string cheese, or yogurt to make it easy for kids to reach in and grab what they’re in the mood for.
It’ll eliminate a lot of digging around and potential mess.
“If you can organise your kitchen, you can organise your life.”
– Louis Parrish
Put Up The Knives
If you have small children in the house, make sure to keep knives out of reach of little hands.
Put them on a high counter or even keep them in a sealed container to make sure nobody is getting into them who shouldn’t be.
Using a drawer with a childproof lock is another good option.
“The kitchen is where you put all the ingredients together. No matter what you do in life, you have to have a plan and put it together.”
– Yo Gotti
Use Lower Storage
Keep kids’ cups, bowls, and plates in a drawer rather than a cabinet to minimize the risk of falling piles of dishes.
Choose a low to the ground drawer or cabinet instead of a high up one to make it easy for kids to grab what they need.
They won’t need to drag a stool or a chair across the floor, either!
“The kitchen is a place of adventure and entirely fun, not drudgery. I can’t think of anything better to do with family and friends than to be together to create something.”
– Ted Allen
Plan Ahead
Hang up a whiteboard for meal planning, grocery lists, and meal requests. Kids will be less likely to complain about dinner if they have a say in what goes into it or if they see what’s coming ahead of time.
It’s also fun to doodle on!
Making your kitchen kid-friendly will encourage independence, organization and will make everyone’s lives easier. Plus, it will make everyone’s favorite room in the house even better!
“The kitchen really is the castle itself. This is where we spend our happiest moments and where we find the joy of being a family.”
-Mario Batali
Is the kitchen the most popular room in your house?
Krystle, creator of Home Jobs by MOM, swapped her psychology degree for motherhood adventures. Now in Kentucky with her husband and teenage sons (15 & 19), she balances cooking, DIY projects, and launching her next business venture. Texas-born but Kentucky-living, she’s still sharing her journey as her family grows up.
Having just recently helped my son and daughter-in-law move into their new home, this reminded me of that experience. Indeed we filled a bottom deep drawer to put the girls silverware and dinner ware for both easy reach, and to minimize interruptions of one of the adults to get things for them. Great tips here for parents and grandparents helping them organize!
Thank you! I remember when my son was younger and got into the drawer with knives. It was scary but luckily I was right there. After that we child locked that drawer.
What a gorgeous kitchen! Although I don’t have a family, I do end up spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and when little ones visit, am mindful of their vulnerability. I remember my mother always kept pots and pans on the back burners of the stove, with handles turned away from the front. And a plate of fruit within easy reach!
Yes won’t be long before I will have to start using the kitchen gate again and by gate I mean a piece of board that is slotted into the doorway to keep crawling babies out of the kitchen
For any parent or grandparent this is a great post. I use to also keep all the kids’ refrigerator items on the bottom shelf so they could reach them easily. 🙂
Very true. When my boys cook with me I usually just bring up one of the kitchen chairs. They love helping…especially when I am making something sweet 🙂
What great advise. Your ideas for healthy snacking, keeping knives out of reach and a message board are great even in homes where the little kids are all grown up!
These are great tips for kitchens where children visit, too! I’m expecting my great nephews in a few days for a vacation visit…I plan on using these tips! Thanks!
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5 Date Night Ideas At Home For New Couples @mobileescaperm
Patricia Weber
Having just recently helped my son and daughter-in-law move into their new home, this reminded me of that experience. Indeed we filled a bottom deep drawer to put the girls silverware and dinner ware for both easy reach, and to minimize interruptions of one of the adults to get things for them. Great tips here for parents and grandparents helping them organize!
Patricia Weber, LinkedIn Group BHB
Krystle
Thank you! I remember when my son was younger and got into the drawer with knives. It was scary but luckily I was right there. After that we child locked that drawer.
Krystyna Lagowski
What a gorgeous kitchen! Although I don’t have a family, I do end up spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and when little ones visit, am mindful of their vulnerability. I remember my mother always kept pots and pans on the back burners of the stove, with handles turned away from the front. And a plate of fruit within easy reach!
Krystle
Pots on the back burner is a great idea. I usually just keep them out of the kitchen if I am cooking something that could hurt them.
joannerambling
Yes won’t be long before I will have to start using the kitchen gate again and by gate I mean a piece of board that is slotted into the doorway to keep crawling babies out of the kitchen
Krystle
Aww your grandbabies are so cute. I always let the little ones play in the lower cabinets. They love tupperware 🙂
Susan Cooper
For any parent or grandparent this is a great post. I use to also keep all the kids’ refrigerator items on the bottom shelf so they could reach them easily. 🙂
Krystle
I also put kids items lower in the fridge. Especially drinks because they tend to spill those plus they don’t need to be climbing in there anyway 🙂
Joanne
I think the healthy snacking tip could apply to adults as well 😉
We still had a stool handy when the kids were growing up so that they could cook with us. Just a thought.
Krystle
Very true. When my boys cook with me I usually just bring up one of the kitchen chairs. They love helping…especially when I am making something sweet 🙂
Grace
What great advise. Your ideas for healthy snacking, keeping knives out of reach and a message board are great even in homes where the little kids are all grown up!
Krystle
Thank you!!
Jacqueline Gum (Jacquie)
These are great tips for kitchens where children visit, too! I’m expecting my great nephews in a few days for a vacation visit…I plan on using these tips! Thanks!
Krystle
Thanks! I think work for all kids (for the most part) 🙂